Fleur Hupston's Blog
Posted by Fleur Hupston
The African elephant is the largest land animal on earth, larger than Asian elephants by far. They have adapted well to the different environments found on this vast continent. Desert elephants are found in Namibia's parched landscape, while dwindling numbers of forest elephants are still found in Central Africa. The largest herds are found in the bush of sub-Saharan Africa.
Once roaming the continent in vast herds, they have been poached, hunted and culled to extinction in some parts. Not surprisingly, they do not view humans as friends. These gentle giants will not charge humans unless provoked or threatened. They are wonderful creatures to watch as they quietly go about their browsing, displaying a touching concern for the little ones in a herd. Elephants are tactile, and they touch their babies with their trunks continually, providing reassurance and guidance for these little ones. The entire herd will co-operate raising and protecting the babies.
Elephants' methods of communicating and their intelligence is still being studied. There is much that is not understood about these magnificent mammals. One conservationist who managed to break down the barriers of hatred and fear manifest in a herd of wild, traumatized elephants is Lawrence Anthony, owner of a private game reserve in South Africa. Take a look at the book review The Elephant Whisperer.
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Posted by Fleur Hupston
Africa is a vast continent, second largest landmass on earth. One of the delights of traveling to any one of the African countries is to sample the food.
Northern African staples consist of maize, cassava, yam, millet and beans and staples such as teff which is eaten in Ethiopia. An abundance of native fruits, vegetables and other indigenous crops make up the rest of the menu and newer crops have been introduced over time. Northern African cuisine, such as Moroccan cuisine is spicy and well-seasoned. Usually fresh fruit in season is served as desert.
Southern African food is as diverse as the many cultures residing in this part of the world. Cuisine is influenced by Indians, Malays, Chinese, Dutch, Germans as well as the many different African tribes.
Try some of these recipes for something different:
How to Make South African Koeksusters: A kind of crunchy donut, soaked in syrup - sweet enough to satisfy any sweet-tooth.
African Meal - From Starters to Desert: A strongly flavored fish starter, beef main course and custard desert.
Ostrich Meat Recipes - Curry and Burgers: Ostrich meat is becoming more popular because of its low fat content. Its really quite delicious in curry.
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Posted by Fleur Hupston
Certain areas in Ethiopia, such as in the green western part of the country, have had good rains this year and Ethiopia expects certain bumper crops, such as coffee, in 2009/2010.
However, other areas such as areas in the east and areas closer to Somali are parched and face severe famine yet again. Since the famine of 1984/1985 in which approximately 1 million people perished, the Ethiopian population has burgeoned from 40 million to its current population of around 80 million.
Ethiopia is a fascinating place to volunteer abroad and volunteers or gap year travelers make a huge difference every year. Anyone interested in volunteering in this way will find it a rewarding and possibly life changing experience. Many organizations volunteering in Ethiopia are based in Addis Ababa, such as Projects Abroad Ethiopia.
Volunteering in Ethiopia will give the visitor plenty of time to explore this fascinating country and see some of its historical sites:
Lalibela, the ancient stronghold of King Lalibela
UNESCO World Heritage Site in Ethiopia
Learn about medieval palaces and castles in the historic area north of of Addis Ababa
Ancient City of Gondar in Northern Ethiopia
It is a good idea to take out travel insurance when volunteering abroad
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